Archive for the ‘Michael Jackson’ Category

I’m back, really, this time, I’m back. After several months of hibernation and let’s hit the ground running with the relaunch. If you want to know me, know these five things: 1) Love family; 2) Love food; 3) Love television; 4) Love sports; and 5) Love politics. And there are times where all five collide and ***BOOM!*** and there are other times where the combination echoes a beautiful and sweet symphony.

Music to my ears, and many civil rights activists’ ears, was President Obama’s launch of the “My Brother’s Keeper” Initiative. Aaron Dorfman, Executive Director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, says of the initiative “Something major just happened in philanthropy. It is certainly the most significant and strategic development so far in 2014, and it just might prove to be the most important thing that happens in our sector all year.” MBK is a public-private venture to confront…

The much anticipated film, “This is It,” the last images of Michael being Michael premiers Wednesday, October 28. In a CNN interview, Kenny Ortega, Michael Bearden, and Travis Payne stated that this film is an “honor project” and one that is dedicated to Michael’s devoted followers.

The Telegraph’s Anita Singh captures Elizabeth Taylor’s emotional reaction to the film. Of it, Taylor stated that “It is the single most brilliant piece of filmmaking I have ever seen. It cemented forever Michael’s genius in every aspect of creativity… To say the man is a genius is an understatement… I wept from pure joy at his God given gift. There will never, ever be the likes of him again.”

Ok, I’m guilty of following the Michael Jackson video marathon–jamming to old videos, songs, and practicing moves that once were so easy to do. But, ok, can we move to something else? His life under a microscope reveals not so pleasing things, but as I predicted before, in death Michael is becoming more of a god than in life. As a friend so eloquently told me, “Is there life outside of Michael?” Yes, Michael’s story is rather tragic and filled with mysteries. But Michael was also human, flaws and all. There’s a thin line between celebrating his career and becoming so enthralled with everything Michael that we forget what it means to report newsworthy material.

Although this blog is dedicated to giving a political voice to African American and minorities in government and politics, one can’t help but mention the losses of 3 Hollywood stars within a week (Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson). Out of the three, Michael’s death has taken many by great shock and surprise. Michael was a legend before I could remember him, but he grew even bigger after his teen years. As early as I could remember, Michael’s music was filling the air in my home–and me imitating the great’s moves–not the moonwalk, but the high leg kick, the glove, the glimmer socks. I can remember spinning in my grandmother’s living room, hitting end tables, and constantly asking my mother what does “shamone” means and can I say it? I can remember my grandmother’s stories of living in Jim Crow Mississippi, having to pay poll taxes, and take literacy tests, and for my household, Michael served us proud and moved my grandmother closer to her dream that we all could live in a race-free world. But Michael was more than a Black icon, he transcended race, he was closest to the god on earth (with emphasis placed on the lower-cased g), maybe with the exception of Lennon and Elvis. Whatever the autopsy results reveal, Michael’s life was filled with the greatest highs, lows, insecurities, and doubts–not matter how large he was, he was just as human as you and me. Michael tried to conceal these feelings with what many would characterize as “strange” behavior. The latter years seem to not curb Michael’s celebrity–the sexual molestation allegations, the baby over the balcony, you pick any scenario. Michael was just Michael. He was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but Michael was yet a hero to so many. Michael was my childhood idol, he was the superstar that encouraged kids to “Just say No!” (alongside the Flintstones). He and Alvin Chipmunk invaded cartoon land with the moonwalk. No matter how you’ll remember Michael, his larger than life personality on the stage welcomed us all to a world that we felt wanted and cherished.